Centre sets terms for releasing funds to Nagaland

KOHIMA, July 20: Centre on Wednesday told Nagaland government in no uncertain terms that non-lapsable pool of Central resources will be made available to the state subject to the condition of maintenance of transparency in project implementation and utilisation certificate by the state government of funds released under the same head for the last two years, reports PTI. Reviewing the development activities taken up under the Centre's new initiative for the region with departmental heads, the Additional Secretary of the Union Home Ministry, PS Shenoy told the government officials the Centre had decided to sanction Rs 50 crore to Nagaland during the current fiscal, but it will be released provided the money sanctioned from non-lapsable pool for the last 2 years was properly utilised. Summarising the outcome of the meeting, Shenoy told newsmen that the Centre now insisted on transparency of project implementation in the Northeast and asked respective state governments to extensively monitor implementation of such schemes. Shenoy said monitoring of Central schemes or visits by state government officials to the project sites in Nagaland was not so satisfactory and he exhorted officials to regularly visit and monitor Centrally funded projects. The secretary said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 102 crore and released Rs 73 crore since 1998-99 to Nagaland from the non-lapsable pool of Central resources. The fund was for completion of Likimro hydel project (Rs 20 crore), Dimapur water supply scheme (Rs 8 crore), Dimapur overbridge (Rs 3.5 crore) and upgradation of Naga hospital at Kohima (Rs 12 crore), Nagaland university (Rs 4 crore) and administrative training institute (Rs 1 crore) and other projects. The meeting also deliberated on Prime Minister's agenda for the Northeast, utilisation of funds, preparation and implementation of feasible and tangible infrastructure projects, and follow-up action of recommendations of development seminars at Mon and Tuensang for the two backward districts.